After months of waiting, the NCAA postseason is finally here as Regional Championship Friday is just one sleep away. 

From 8:30 a.m. ET to 3:00 p.m. ET, the best of the best will go toe-to-toe across nine different regionals, from Tallahassee, FL to Pullman, WA. Throughout the six-and-a-half hours of racing, FloTrack will be your one-stop shop for everything going down on Friday.

As the best collegiate distance runners countdown the hours until the gun goes off, let's take a look at eight of the top athletes to watch out for at NCAA Regionals.

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Doris Lemngole, Alabama

As the top returner from a year ago, it's only right that Doris Lemngole is deemed the favorite to break the tape in Wisconsin. The Alabama sophomore is uncatchable this year, notching big wins at the Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invite and the SEC Championships. Dating back to the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, where Lemngole won her first national title in the 3000mS, the Crimson Tide frontrunner has been invincible. Even in a competitive region, Lemngole should head into NCAAs unbeaten.

Habtom Samuel, New Mexico

After shattering the course record in Madison and handing defending champion Graham Blanks his first cross country loss in 700 days, the New Mexico standout is one of the top contenders for XC gold and is arguably the favorite. The 2024 10,000m champion is 2-1 this fall, with big wins at Pre-Nationals and the Mountain West Championships. Samuel finished runner-up at Oklahoma State's Cowboy Jamboree, crossing eight seconds back of Cowboy sophomore Brian Musau. Samuel is the biggest threat to a Graham Blanks repeat.

Graham Blanks, Harvard

The last year has been chaotic as can be for the Havard senior. After winning his first national title and breaking the indoor 5000m collegiate record, Blanks had an injury-riddled track season, missing all of indoor and a chunk of outdoor. However, Blanks found his stride the more he raced, culminating with a fourth-place finish at the U.S. Olympic Trials, where Blanks' momentum carried him to the Olympic final. Since his debut last month, Blanks clocked a new 8k PB of 22:14.6 at the Ivy League Heptagonal Cross Country Championships. Safe to say the defending champ is looking fit. 

Chloe Thomas, Connecticut

With how she has been running this season, there is no telling what Chloe Thomas is truly capable of. Since early September, Thomas has consistently run smart and strong races, including her fifth-place finish at Pre-Nationals and her recent dominating Big East title. After qualifying for her first cross country and outdoor nationals, Thomas has gained crucial championship racing experience and has established herself as one of the top contenders for some hardware. 

Brian Musau, Oklahoma State

Musau's first year at Oklahoma State was as good as they come, notching four All-American honors, one of them being the DMR national title. In his second season on the grass, Musau has won two out of three races, most recently capturing his second consecutive Big 12 title. Musau is one of the four 2023 All-Americans on the Oklahoma State squad, and the closer he is to the front, the better off the Cowboys will be in the team score. 

Pamela Kosgei, New Mexico

In her first season at New Mexico, Kosgei has been nothing short of dominant. She's picked up three big-time wins at the Cowboy Jamboree, Pre-Nationals, and the Mountain West Championships. The freshman clocked 18:59.1 in Wisconsin last month and hasn't run slower than 19:50 since becoming a Lobo. With head-to-head wins over two other girls on this list, it would be very surprising if Kosgei is not the one dictating the pace.

Parker Wolfe, North Carolina

In June, Wolfe won his first NCAA title in the 5000m, and in his two races since he's looked like the real deal. At the Nuttycombe Invitational, Wolfe broke the previous course record after running 23:04. (Wolfe's record was broken at Pre-Nationals last month) Wolfe made another big leap at the ACC Championships, finishing third in 22:29.8, a 35-second PB. Wolfe has been one of the best runners in the country over the last year, even finishing third in the 5000m at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Expect Wolfe to be a factor from the get-go.

Ceili McCabe, West Virginia

The fifth-year senior is somehow saving her best for last despite already having eight All-American trophies to her name. In her last year as a Mountaineer, McCabe has been on a tear, with wins at the Louisville Classic and Big 12 Championship, as well as a fourth-place finish at Pre-Nationals.McCabe has clashed with dozens of All-Americans this fall and there are only a few who have come out on top. After running a new lifetime best of 19:02.6 for 6k, the tried and true senior is in the hunt.

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